3 Clicks and a wish

The final piece of the ensemble is now complete. What wonders a can of silver spray paint and blue glitter can do to an old pair of sneakers!

It's just about time!

Dorothy take me home.

Carnival parade begins tomorrow promptly at 4pm.

Consumption of refreshing adult beverages begin tomorrrow promptly at 7am.

Christophenes

Christophene: A gourd imported from Mexico , it's eaten raw or cooked, typically to accompany a main dish. It is very watery.

Yesterday was my very first experience with a "thing" called a Christophene.

We got a bag full of them and Leanna told me to peel them and she would show Paul how they were prepared. They are kind of like a potato / apple / squash / gourd combo!

So I finished peeling the skin off all of these Christophenes and was standing there talking about the different recipes you can make with them and all of the sudden my fingers and hands starting to feel weird. Leanna said that I should have put some oil on my hands first because the fruit will dry out your skin and make your hands peel off. Thanks a bunch! It felt like that old white glue we had in elementary school that dried on your hands.

And I'm thinking to myself "Myself, if it did THAT to my hands, what in the world is it going to do to my mouth, stomach and ultimately by "back side"?????

Needless to say I did not try them. Happy Friday from Saba.

Oh, Lord. The costumes have arrived!!

OK, so the costumes arrived and I picked mine up this afternoon. They are, to say the least, a little "skimpier" than I thought!

These are MY SHORTS with a sea horse belt that adorns them. Let's just hope that "Mr. Aquatic Ed" doesn't rear his head during the parade......

Here we have my beautiful chest harness and cape.

Tight bike shorts, seahorse themes, capes, staffs, and feathered headresseses.............. I'm in HEAVEN!!!!

My only disappointment is that the flesh colored Man-O-Shaper Unitard undergarment wasn't part of the package.

Saba Carnival 2009 - the First Night

As I mentioned earlier, last night was the kick off to Carnival 2009 here on Saba and we gots lots of "give away goodies" including feather masks, Carnival T-Shirts and lighted glow sticks for the first parade of the week.

This is Paul's Godson Trevon and we got to walk (of should I say carry) together for a good part of the evening.

The night was fun although I cut is short given the fact that today started another work week for us at Tropics and I needed to get some rest.

Happy Tuesday, Happy Carnival Week and Happy Taco day at Tropics from Saba!!

Saba Carnival

Saba Carnival kicked off tonight with "Jump Up" which is kind of like the dry run for Saturday and Sunday's parade which includes the 2009 costumes

(and I'll be in it)

I went down to celebrate the start of the big week's festivities.

The photo above shows friends of ours in the 2008 Carnival celebration. More pics to come from this week, I promise!!

Happy Carnival week from Saba......

A Rockin' Sunday Brunch!

We are just getting home from Sunday Brunch at Tropics Cafe and we had a kick ass day today. We served 30 people in about 2 hours and offered homemade Belgium Waffles as one of our specials today. Other goodies included Southern Fried Chicken, Eggs Benedict and Bangers and Eggs with Cheddar cheese grits.

Now given the fact that Saba has roughly a 1,400 person population that equates to serving 2% of the island's inhabitants today. In DC terms, that would be like serving Brunch to 11,800 people!!

Now we're off until Tuesday morning and plan on having some quiet time with friends including my best friend, Absolut and Cranberry.

My trip back to the good ol' US of A

My trip back to the States is all confirmed. I leave Saba first thing on Tuesday, Aug. 11th and travel through Miami and then on to DC.

Luckily this time I only have to meet with our accountant and nothing else! No doctor, dentist, eye doctor, etc.

I have every full intention of celebrating my arrival to Washington with a little "late happy hour" beverage with great friends.

A quick trip to the beach is planned to spend some time with the nieces and nephew in Ocean City, New Jersey. Or, as they say in NJ, "going down the shore".

The rest of the time away will be spent doing absolutely nothing!! It will be nice to have a break from the rock and spend some "city" time...........

Eye Brows, Ears and Nose Hairs ?? Just Curious

So I'm just curious about how I can go to sleep at night and wake up the next morning with stray hairs growing out of my eyebrows, nose and ears. It's kind of like that plant from Little Shop of Horrors that seems to grow 10 feet in ten minutes.

Tonight I was working my shift down at Tropics and excused myself for a moment to "powder my nose" and found this HUGE nose hair coming straight out! It looked like a fiber optic probe coming straight towards the mirror. To make matters worse, It WAS GREY!!

I think I can handle most things but these wild and strange growth things are really getting to me in my "soon to be elder" stage. If I find a newly found mole on my neck with long hairs growing out of it tomorrow morning I will simply have to give up!!

Happy FOLICLE day from Saba.......

I AM a Moron, Really I AM!

So I am utterly convinced that sometimes I am completely retarted!

Yesterday afternoon I was making the (delicious, if I may say so) Vermont Maple Syrup Bread Pudding and the Walnut Pralines to crumble on top.

I'm at the stove cooking the sugar and it started to turn a little darker than normal.

So I'm thinking to myself - "Myself, this looks darker than normal"

So I give it a quick stir with a spoon, blow on it and promptly put the spoon in my mouth to taste it!

End result - What feels like 3rd degree burns and blisters all over my tongue and roof of my mouth!

NOTE TO SELF: The inside of your mouth and 325 degree molten sugar does not a good match make.

And the summer theater series continues...

Tonight we continue with July's Alfred Hitchcock tribute and are showing Torn Curtain starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews.

Dinner and a movie is only $20 smackeroos and tonight we are serving your choice of:

Garlic studded Pork Roast, mashed potatoes and veggie with a mixed green salad and homemade Vermont Maple syrup bread pudding with toasted walnut praline crumbles and fresh whipped cream or you can substitute the Pork entree for Caribbean Lobster Pot Pie!

It's a fun way to break up the work week for us since we serve the dinner all at 6:30pm, the movie starts right at dusk (which is around 7:10pm) and we're "outta there" by about 9:30!!

Happy Movie night from Saba.

Scooter Blues

So it's kind of like that old adage "what comes first, the chicken or the egg".

I have been trying to get things lined up for my new scooter that I got for my birthday 22 freakin' days ago and have now been told for about the 12th time that I need my learner's permit before I can get my insurance and registration and from other sources I need my insurance and registration before I can get my learner's permit.

How hard can it possibly be to get individuals (whose offices are within shouting distance of each other) to agree on what needs to come first?????????

So here my poor little Scooter sits, without tags, without insurance, without a learner's permit for its incredibly handsome driver to "scoot" around the island.

Maybe I should tell people at Tropics the next time they come in for lunch or dinner they need to pay their check before they order or eat their food before they decide what to have for their meal. Hmmnnnn.......

Total Solar Eclipse

Today part of the world experienced a total solar eclipse and I'm sure it was wonderful to see.

I had always heard that you weren't supposed to look directly at it without proper eye protection so I looked it up and found that it can cause photo chemical retinal damage if you stare at it for too long.

It's a good thing that it was only visible from regions around China since they are all squinting anyway!

The New Wii and Me

Our friends recently got a Wii system for their house and have been playing Golf, Tennis, Bowling and other sorts of things on it. It's become a bit of a cult phenomenon and certain players have experienced sore muscles and achy backs as a result of this "new" exercise routine.

I've never been a big fan of video games and the like so I just usually sit there and enjoy their enthusiasm from my bar stool.

Now Paul has a Wii program for our own house. Here he is playing golf while I'm sitting here surfing Ebay looking at things I used to buy in my former life.

Oh screw it and give me that damn remote so I can kick his ass in this game!!!!

Tropical Wave

Our Monday finished up with the weather here on Saba turning a little ugly. We are expecting the remnants of a Tropical Wave that is supposed to bring higher winds and heavy rains. So far we've only had scattered heavy rains and winds that aren't so bad.

This view from our deck shows the heavy low lying clouds blowing across Mt. Scenery at the top of the mountain. It looks like the island is on fire.

Spooky but cool!

Our Big Ol' "Gay" Day Off

So today is our day off and we decided that we WEREN'T going to do anything today. The weather wasn't really cooperating for a beach day with higher than normal winds and off and on rain showers so we stayed put in the house all day.

After a nice breakfast of fried eggs (in bacon grease, of course), bacon, ham, toast, croissants and jam we thought it would be fun to have a "gay old" movie day starting with The Women from 1939.

After all, how can you have a great old movie without the Queen Bitch of all times, Joan Crawford?????

The second movie was Mommie Dearest and Paul was even kind enough to offer "Mommie" (that would be ME) a refresher during that infamous scene where Christina brings her in a half quart of Vodka with just a cube or two of ice. How thoughtful of him.

Happy Joan Crawford tribute day from Saba....

Big Fun on Sunday night

So we start our work week on Tuesdays and serve lunch and dinner, lunch and dinner, lunch and dinner, lunch and dinner, lunch and dinner and then Sunday brunch.

Cook and serve, cook and serve, cook and serve and it goes on and on.

So tonight we are hosting dinner guests here at the house. Now don't get me wrong; I'm looking forward to our little soiree but "COOK AND SERVE" all over again on our evening off?

I think not!

Next time I'm ordering pizza, a case of cold beer and paper napkins.

Our new little g-NO-me

Our friends bought us that great and thoughtful gift for our yard and strategically placed it right at the base of our steps the night before last and this is what I got to see when I returned home from work that evening.

I think it adds a Touch of Cl-ASS to our abode, don't you think?

Happy "Full Moon" day, gnome style from Saba...........

Carnival Countdown

We are in the final countdown to Carnival here on Saba. The official festivities start on Monday, July 27 and go for a solid week.

Lord Help my Liver!!

I was trying to figure out what kind of shoes I should wear to match my cobalt blue Sea Horse outfit and knew that I really needed something that could handle the gruelling parade route and hot weather conditions so I decided to take an old pair of tennis shoes and spray paint them blue and sprinkled in silver glitter.

Very butch - Yes I know.

On to current conditions. I haven't been sleeping well lately, the weather is hot and humid which makes me sweat like a two dollar whore on Gospel Sunday and I'm running low on Absolut.

Unfortunately people in my immediate vicinity will most likely suffer today as a result.

So in advance I apologize to you.......

"BUST"ille Day

Yesterday was France's big Independance Celebration and I didn't do a damn thing to celebrate it. No Champagne, No aged Bordeaux, No Fine French Cheese. We didn't even have any French tourists on the island yesterday.

Rein, Nein, Nada, Niente, Niets, Zippo.....

I didn't even have any Freedom Fries!

I think the closest I came to honoring the day was having some chicken salad on a baguette.

Oh well. Happy Wednesday from Saba!

Hiking The Quill on St. Eustastius

Yesterday was a fun filled day! I volunteered with the Child Focus program here on Saba and took about 30 kids from Saba to St. Eustastius for the day to hike "The Quill" which is their dormant volcano. This is the view of Saba looking back as we took the ferry over to Statia, as it is called.

The weather looked promising for our hike and here we're about to "rim the crater" at the start of our ascent to the top, about 2,000 feet above sea level.

Covered in sweat, I've arrived at the edge of the crater rim.

As we went down into the base of the crater the views were simply fantastic with shafts of light pouring through the tree canopy.

This is a silk cotton tree which looks alot like a Banyon Tree or large ficus.

Just as we got to the bottom of the crater the heavens opened up and it started pouring down rain. We were soaked to the bone in a matter of minutes and then had to rock climb our way out of there over moss covered boulders, slippery as all get out!

Back out of the volcano we saw lots of really neat flora and fauna and native animals.

This is a flamboyant tree, also known as a July Tree on Statia.

Coming back down the mountain we had a nice view of the Statia harbor.

Here we have a native Antillean Iguana which is bright green. This "little" guy measured about 3 feet long and was just hanging out in the tree.

To wrap up our day we visited the old fort complete with cannons to ward off pirates and other unmentionables. Statia was a holding point for the slave trade back in the day and we got to see some of the original slave cells and shackles and chains.

All in all, it was a great way to spend my day off and I really enjoyed volunteering with the kids.

Happy Tuesday from Saba!

Where's the Pot O' Gold?

Just now we had a quick heavy rain shower and what it produced was this beautiful rainbow just off our deck at the house.

Now we don't have much in the way of a super lottery here on Saba so, for only a minute, I felt like the Lucky Charms guy wanting to jump over the edge of the cliff in search of my fortune at the other end of it!

Happy Good Luck Rainbow Day from Saba.

"ancient chinese secrets"

OK, you may need reading glasses to see these sayings but someone sent me these today on email and, for the first time in months I've actually laughed out loud.

I think I need a therapist.

Happy Saturday from Saba.......

Psycho

In thinking about tonight's movie at Tropics, Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock I remember back when I first saw the film and, for years, couldn't take a shower without making sure to lock the door to the bathroom.

I also thought the house where "Mom" lived was so completely creepy. I'm surprised that I found the passion to live in "old houses" rather than buy a new townhouse or condo.

Thankfully and still to this day I cannot stomach staying in a roadside motel.

And for that, Alfred, I owe my undying gratitude to you!

My Poor Back

Yesterday was a really busy day at Tropics. We had a private party for a wedding celebration dinner and were fully booked. We did a 3 course sit down dinner with an open bar and champagne toast. About 12 of the seats were "al fresco" and, of course, it started to rain. Luckily the downpour stopped in time for food service and all went well although we worked our behinds off.

As we were cleaning up the phone started ringing and I ran to get it, slipped on the wet tile floor and, well the rest is history. I now have a 44 year old body with an 88 year old back. Ouch!

Today it's back to business with our "Starlight Theater Series" and the month of July offers a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock.

Tonight's showing is Pyscho! (Not me, The Movie)

Beach Blanket Boo Boo

The habit of going to the beach on Mondays, our day off, has become a weekly pilgrimage. Yesterday was no different and we loaded up the coolers, hibachi, hot dogs, chips and plenty of refreshing beverages.

Although the weather was a little overcast the day was great............ UNTIL!!

As we were leaving Paul was backing up the steep hill and CRUNCH, right into the front end of this big truck with industrial grade bumpers. Our little "island Lexus" didn't fare so well.

Of course I started laughing but only because I was so relieved that I wasn't the one driving.

It was bound to happen since the roads on Saba are narrow, swervy and with tall rock walls lining the shoulders. A scratch, scrape or dent on vehicles here on Saba are known as an island "kiss".

Well, Paul, that was one Helluva smooch.........

A Big Birthday Surprise

Yesterday I got the whole day off to celebrate my birthday. The morning was spent scuba diving, the afternoon, a nice quiet quick little nap on the deck all by myself and then in the evening, my birthday party!

There were about 75 people there and most everyone chipped in for a surprise "group gift" for me. A brand new Peugeot motor scooter. It has 125 cc's in the engine which means absolutely nothing to me. All I care is that it is red which matches my blood shot eyes, my laptop computer and the cute little red cape that it came with as an accessory.

Paul had permanent markers ready for folks at the party "autograph" the helmet.

Now I'm all ready to go zooming up and down the mountain in my own set of wheels. But before I can do that I need to learn how to drive it, take a motorcycle test and get my new class of driver's license.

All in all it was a perfect way to spend the day and thanks to Paul and everyone else who made it perfect!

Happy 364 days until the big "4-5" next July first.....